Family Court, Round 2: Milestones Per Gallon

Editor's Note: This is the second of three comparisons between these cars. Last week, we ran a three-way between the base models, next week we run the third installment, a three-way between the high-octane versions.

Three sedans that will pump you up... by rarely going to the pumpThe resurgence of the compact sedan -- Elantra, Cruze, Focus, et al. -- over the last few years is due in large part to the segment's combination of growing dimensions and continued high fuel economy. These small four-doors offer the room of an older-generation midsize while still providing the fuel mileage of a present-day subcompact, and sometimes better. As a result, American families have been eating up these compacts at alarming rates. The Cruze, for instance, has surpassed the Malibu as Chevy's best-selling car. But if a not-so-small small car is still too small, even new midsize sedans are showing glimmers of high-mileage hope. Take the previous test's Camry LE, which sips gas at the miserly rate of 25 mpg city/35 mpg highway yet still offers an E-Class-size interior and trunk. Still not good enough? If your idea of the ultimate sedan is a tantalizing blend of dynamic performance, passenger volume, and, most important, fantabulous fuel economy, the midsize hypermiler is it. Gathered here are three of the latest and greatest: the 37-mpg Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, the 40-mpg Toyota Camry Hybrid, and the 34-mpg VW Passat TDI. To the pumps!

3RD PLACE: HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRIDWe first clicked said pumps at Hyundai's proving ground in California City, out in the toasty Mojave Desert. Nearly 300 miles later, we were back at the proving ground to close our fuel logs. I wish I had better news for Hyundai, but its Sonata Hybrid, EPA-estimated to return 35 city/40 highway, mustered a disappointing 27.0 mpg observed, almost 10 mpg less than its hybrid foe from Toyota. What gives?

"Both the gas engine and electric motor really need to be wrung out to even keep up with the Camry and Passat," judged Kong. "The poor electric motor, which serves as the six-speed auto's torque converter, is overworked, and, as a consequence, the car really struggles under high-load conditions and overall integration is not smooth. If the electric motor were more powerful (it's outpaced by the Camry Hybrid's primary tractive motor by 101 hp), it might help." Not only did the Sonata's fuel economy suffer, so did its track performance, trailing the Camry to 60 by a monstrous 2.3 seconds--and Hyundai claims 6 horsepower more than Toyota with similar weight-to-power. Hyundai also touts its use of a conventional automatic and lighter lithium-polymer batteries, both of which are supposed to work better than their CVT and nickel-metal hydride/lithium-ion counterparts. But the net results say the opposite. Making things worse, we rated the Sonata's steering too rubbery, the brakes too grabby, and the throttle too jerky.But it's not all doom and gloom for the Sonata Hybrid. The design differentiators, from the LED headlamp accents and unique LED taillamps to the wind-cutting 17-inch alloys and vibrant hybrid technology display, were all well-executed, giving the Hyundai a rich, techy appearance. And the soft leather-adorned interior and panoramic sunroof made the cabin a welcoming space. Ultimately, though, this Sonata's last name means it needed to be much more competitive with the others, especially the Camry.

2ND PLACE: Toyota Camry Hybrid XLEOur collective pick was not the Camry, but not because we weren't immensely impressed. This new topline XLE, returning a slightly worse 40 mpg combined compared with 41 from the marginally lighter LE, treats feathery-footed drivers to better fuel economy than both the Sonata Hybrid and Ford Fusion Hybrid. Better yet, for heavy-footed pilots, the Camry XLE can still deliver in the neighborhood of 37 mpg (we saw 36.9 observed), not to mention surprisingly brisk acceleration times. How brisk? With its new 2.5-liter 156-hp I-4 and 141-hp electric motor, the XLE whirred from 0 to 60 in just 7.2 seconds, only 0.2 behind the 274-hp Sonata 2.0T.

Perhaps more impressive than its quickness, the Camry is a model of seamless operation. Save for the slightest of vibrations from its engine start/stop system, the Camry keeps its hybridness a secret; the regenerative brakes are progressive, the throttle response linear, and the steering light and direct. Compared with the developmental-league Hyundai, the Toyota plays in the pros. If you didn't know it was a hybrid, the Camry would lead you to believe it was a deftly executed gas-only sedan with some extra pop under the hood.What kept the Camry from taking the gold was a driving experience less satisfying and memorable than the Passat's and an interior that, while ergonomically sound and of high quality, came across too overwrought, what with big steering wheel-mounted controls and extra-large buttons and knobs decorating the center stack. Otherwise, this new hybrid is arguably the best Camry ever.

1ST PLACE: VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TDI SETwo noteworthy factoids about our twin-clutch-equipped Passat TDI: One, with an 18.5-gallon fuel tank and a highway rating of 40 mpg, its cruising range is an interstate-friendly 740 miles. (For manual enthusiasts, the TDI can be equipped with a six-speed stick, which, thanks to 43-mpg highway, bumps range to 796.) Compare that stretch with the Camry's 646 and the Sonata's 688, and you can see why the TDI is our open-road champion. Two, minus any of the hybrids' space-robbing batteries, the TDI retains its huge 15.9 cubic feet of trunk space -- 2.8 more than Camry and 5.2 more than the Sonata.

Of course, there's so much more to love with the TDI. "The 2.0-liter diesel is the perfect engine for the new Passat. It's got the low-end torque and the power density suitable to propel the car for 99 percent of midsize buyer's needs," said Kong. And by low-end torque, we're talking 236 lb-ft at a basement 1500 rpm, enough oomph to shove the TDI from 0 to 60 in 8.7 seconds. That time is noticeably slower than the Camry's, but the TDI doesn't feel noticeably slower under normal driving conditions, thanks in part to the speedy twin-clutch DSG that snaps off shifts in mere milliseconds, always riding on top of that wave of torque. When the road goes all serpentine, the TDI morphs into a big mongoose, its best-in-test 0.80 g lateral accel and 124-foot 60-0 braking distance working harmoniously with the first-rate steering and taut, lively suspension to deliver a rewarding, responsive drive that can't be matched in this group.Forced to find faults, we could only come up with the lack of an iPod/USB interface. This Passat is that well-rounded and that well-executed. Which is why the TDI is the hottest hypermiler available today.

I have driven all three of the test vehicles as rentals for over a week each and own a 2009 Camry Hybrid that I purchased new. The actual mileage for the Toyota was 42 mpg (at 65 mph), Hyundae and TDI were only 36 and 35 each (at 60 mph). My 3 1/2 year old Camry Hybrid now has over 95,000 miles, yet still delivers 40 - 41 mpg consistently every tank. It does not require special low resistance tires as some hybrids do. It does not use more expensive diesel fuel like the TDI. EPA ratings for the 2009 Camry Hybrid were inaccurate and below actual peformance. Toyoya probably knew this when they predicted the newer models would receive higher EPA ratings without really having to change the vehicle engine / battery / control logic much. Mr Kiino has not been true to his claimed intent to rate vehicles based on their efficient mileage. In addition, he compared EPA ratings for the TDI against the actuals for Camry and Hyundai. All three tested here are fine vehicles, but the Toyota Camry Hybrid delivers the greatest value and mileage.

All 3 of these cars are good, long-distance cruisers. Let's thank Japanese companies for making reliability doable, at a reasonable price. Let's thank VW for trailblazing the way for diesel in the US. The Japanese companies will follow. Then we will be granted powerful, torque-filled, efficient cars. And the Korean companies are keeping the rest honest regarding how inexpensively modern features can be added (although not so honest about their mileage figures).

I have had a different experience with the a Sonata hybrid standard model (no moon roof or leather) - my mileage has been consistently >40 mpg combined since the first service when the computer system was upgraded. My driving is mixed city/highway driving in the Cleveland area. The steering has not been rubbery to me and the braking has been superb - the car stopped promptly to avoid a child who darted out into the street. My wife does not pay attention to trying to maximize mileage and gets about 36-37 mpg overall. When I shopped cars in May 2011,I found that the Sonata provided the most interior room amoung the midsized hybrids and that it was the easiest for me to get into and out of (I have limited movement of my knees). Everyone should select a car that fits their needs and the Sonata hybrid fits my needs very well.

I also want to mention that the TDI has always been an electronic pedal, computer controlled engine that debuted in an Audi model in 1988. That's about two decades before Toyota's electric pedals came about and well we all know about the recall. I really want to reinforce the fuel economy ... I pay up to 10-cents more than my boyfriend does for premium for his BMW. I get more than twice the range on a smaller tank. He puts 16 gallons in - 17 if he's really low - I put 15 in if I've been driving it with the low fuel light on for DAYS. 805 / 15.4 = 52mpg - real world, 2011, 98 TDI with over 260k miles on the engine and transmission. Where is the Hybrid now? @pmirp1: in 08 we had gas shortages in NC. I never had an issue getting diesel, it was the only fuel available at every station. Diesel is available at about 90% of gas stations in the US. I've never run out -- and I take cross country trips pretty frequently to very rural areas - where diesel should be hardest to locate.

I want to correct a few things. A 14-year old Camry will not fetch $10,000, yet a 14-year old Passat Wagon TDI fetches that -- and then some -- every day. There area few Prius Gen1's with 300k miles and they need batteries. I wrecked my 98 TDI at 280k miles and only put three belts on it (this was before the 100k belt). Upkeep: There is some misinformation. The belt on the 2.0 TDI is 120k mile rated, not 80k. Transmission service is about $300, not $500. Either way, in real world use, these cars get 40 in city and 47 on the highway. The competition was for highway miles, the TDI is the clear winner here. Fuel prices do flux, but my TDI - a former automatic now manual - goes 590 miles on 14.48 gallons of fuel, in mixed driving, and I am not hypermiling--80 is not hypermiling. I'd love to see how your hybrid compares to this, given their small tanks. As for life, my dad has an 86 Diesel Golf. 600,000 miles. We've replaced more door handles than anything else.

Several companies are developing synthetic diesel based on vegetable matter. Why this hasn't become a reality yet I don't know, but once it does diesel will take a dramatic drop in price (assuming the oil companies don't sabotage this somehow).The Passat will not get to the top in one month or even one year. It will take time, and further refinements from VW.

Diesel can be cheaper by 3-5 cents for a week, yes. The rest of the year, they cost about 10-20 cents more. So unless you mod your TDI to use vegetable oil, it will cost you more money to buy fuel.October's sales figures should be coming out soon. We will see who is the champion then.

Ben Dover,When will you admit you work for Toyota so everyone here can properly evaluate your comments?1. I'm glad you finally admit the Camry is second best.2. Toyota's Complimentary Maintenance plan: 2 years, 25,000 miles.VW's Carefree Maintenance: 3 years, 36,000 miles.Like I said, Toyota offers no comparable plan.3. Diesel sometimes costs less than gasoline in certain areas and certain states at different times of the year. And when synthetic diesel comes out, it will be a fraction of the cost of gasoline.4. According to the American Leasing Group, which is where most residual values come from, the 2011 Golf TDI has a better resale value than any other vehicle in its class of "Alternative Fuel" vehicles.In the midsize car category you will see that . . . gasp! "The People's Champion," Camry, is not the winner. It's the lowly Subaru Legacy. So the Camry doesn't win in ANY category of resale value.Your champion's days are numbered.

I'm sure there's a conspiracy to rob Toyota of it's rightful crown. When I read car reviews I want to hear both the subjective and objective observations. I buy cars based more on how they feel when I drive then whether or not one large mid-sized sedan beats another by a few tenths in a drag race. As far as people always liking Camry in our lifetime, I'm old enough to remember when people always liked LTDs. Times change, products evolve, reviewers have different opinions, nothing to get lathered up about.

Adam1. Diesel costs more every fill-up, so regardless, it will cost more to run a Passat TDI, especially when it isn't nearly as efficient as Toyota SECOND best Camry hybrid2. Toyotas come with 2 years free maintenance. I see you've done your homework.3. A Passat will NEVER have the resale of a Camry, not in either of our lifetimes. The main reason is beacuse people actually like the Camry, and want to buy it about 4X more often then they would a Passat4. MT can butter VW's muffin all day, every day. Hand it a million victories it doesn't deserve. It matters not.When a buyer sees the Camry Hybrid start under $25k, with 43 MPG, and 39 MPG on the Hwy, then drives the Camry, and sees how much quicker it is than a Passat TDI, the buyers will do what they've done for the last 20 years.....Buy a Camry (Hybrid), and not return the VW salesman's calls.BD

Why is the VW even in this comparison? Its not a hybrid, and it significantly lags the competition in fuel economy as a result. Its absurd to even be here.Why not do a comparison of 4WD vehicles, include a Jeep Cherokee, a Toyota 4Runner, and a Subaru WRX Sti, then damn the Subaru for not being able to ford a stream, or praise it for being the fastest to 60.This comparo is a joke.But the Goob understands. Its ok. You're not allowed to have a comparo where you cant include an unreliable piece of German junk to award it the default win.Thats ok.Predictable, but ok.

The Vw requires annually oil changes at 10k miles and not to mention it's also the safeist car and if you don't believe me ask anyone at a collision center about German structures.. As far as engine life is concerned Diesel engines typically last longer than gasoline engines while returning 30% better economy. Camry is a great car but I'm not that keen on Hybrids as a driver personally, as far as the Hyundai is concerned never have owned one but the Styling is nice..

Eight. The resale value of a TDI is excellent. In fact, I would say it's almost beyond excellent. It's virtually impossible to find a 1 or 2 year old TDI with low miles on it that isn't going for the same price as a brand new TDI, or only a few hundred dollars less. I have seen 10 year old TDIs go for 3 to 4 times their book value, simply because people appreciate their bulletproof reliability, their performance, and their fuel economy. The resale of hybrids is also very good, granted, but not as good as this. When you look at the total picture: the low entry price, the reliability, the low end torque, the handling, the comfort and the room, the styling, the low maintenance costs, the resale value, the safety, the low emissions, etc., it's really hard to make a case against the TDI.

Fourth. The last time I checked, it cost about $300-400 to service a regular Camry transmission. No better and no worse than a DSG. I do not know what it costs to service the type of tranny that comes in a Camry hybrid, but I do know it costs about $3500 to replace the CVT transmission in a Honda hybrid. (And usually, when there's a problem with a CVT, that's what you do-- replace it.)Fifth. What does it cost to replace the battery pack in a TDI? Oh wait. There is none. That's a 2-3K savings right there.Sixth. Timing chains are better in some applications, but not all. They have one significant drawback: they're noisier. VW went with a timing belt in some vehicles because it's much quieter.Seventh. The cost of diesel is not uniform across the nation, and varies seasonally. It is not uniformly "50 cents more." Where I live diesel is about 20 cents more than gas right now-- but I have seen it LESS than gasoline. It varies much more than gasoline according to demand.

Regarding the cost of maintenance on a VW TDI. There seem to be some misconceptions going around, as well as factual omissions.First, every VW comes with "Carefree Maintenance," which means all the normally scheduled maintenance is FREE for the first 3 years or 36,000 miles. Toyota does not offer a comparable plan.2nd. Diesels are notoriously reliable-- and long lived. There are diesel trucks on the road today that have been on the road since the 80's (or even the 70's) and have upwards of a million miles on them. And I personally know of several VW TDIs with well over 300,000 on the engines, and one with over 400K. I know of no hybrids with that kind of mileage.Third. Because there are no sparkplugs in a diesel you never have to do a "tune up." There's a savings right there.To be continued . . .

Cost of maintenance appears to be omitted, but yet is a material consideration. The TDI in both the Jetta and new Passat still, inexplicably, have timing belts, instead of timing chains existant on the Camry and Sonata. Replacement of the timing belt, which is required every 80,000 miles, on the TDI, costs at least $1,000 according to a service manager in St. Louis. Coupled with the $500 maintenance required for the DSG dual clutch automatic transmission every 40,000 miles, and the 15-20% fuel premium for diesel, the true cost of ownership for the TDI is significantly higher than either the Camry or Sonata. Fuel saving is the primary reason why anyone would consider any of these three vehicles. $2,000 for maintenance every 80,000 miles for the TDI Passat should be deducted from the anticipated savings in fuel expense when evaluating these vehicles, plus the extra cost of diesel. Just saying :)

Title of the article: "Milestones Per Gallon" and you have chosen fuel-efficient variant of each contender. till now everything is reasonable.Looking at the numbers not only shows that Camry is ahead of two competitors, but even far ahead that can be assumed in a class above. Just look at those MPG numbers, MT MPG, CO2 emission, Performance numbers (0-60, 0-100, 45-65, ...) and you see how obvious the Camry is untouchable in the battlefield of efficiency and performance. But you MT writers finally placed it in second place because of its "less satisfying driving experience"!!! It's just like you compare 3 persons to pick the tallest one, when A=180cm,B=175cm,C=190cm and you finally pick A because (s)he is much prettier than others, or maybe (s)he is your cousin!! If you want to pick A, why you compare it with the others in some characteristics that it can't compete?!!Don't think that I'm a Toyota fan. No, I answered your voting about "which model you would by" with Passat!Not a good manner guys!!

I here alot of complains about the DSG tranny on the VW/Audi cars but i haven't had any issues with mine on the Audi.. How about the CVT tranny does anyone actually like the feel of that tranny? 2 months ago i installed a tune package on my TDI and now im running it at Euro specs 175hp 270lbs. of torque and im loving the car even more and the mileage has stayed pretty much the same . Best part about i can switch it back to stock mode with the touch of a button..

I generally like MT articles and their knowledge but feel there must be a mistake here. I test drove a sonata hybrid (it was a manager's special car with 800 miles on the odo) and the car was a dealership car which had returned from a 100 mile trip. The trip computer on the dash (it was the base version) said 40.6 mpg average and the manager looked heavy-set and far from being a hypermiling kind of guy."To the poster who said Hyundai interiors were plasticky". I found them personally to be on par or better than my Lexus and the gauges, materials were first rate, more often seen on 35K plus cars.I would really want MT to retest a different Sonata hybrid because the numbers do not seem accurate from other road tests I have read (or) my personal experience at the dealership??For example 123autocanada got 37mpg on a lead foothttp://www.auto123.com/en/news/car-news/past-topics/sonata-hybrid?topic=sonata+hybrid

@suparag9If all you (and MT) care about are the feelings of the drive then you (and MT) are not qualified to comment about these cars. Let's face it, all these cars ARE "appliances." The Camry though, is the proven reliable appliance.

The weak link in the VW is the DSG transmission. Ask anyone who owns one and has had it longer than the few days it took to review these cars. The DSG is very inconsistent in it's operation, not to mention the hesitation, jerking, and overall frustrating performance. This trans has been in VW vehicles for many years now, and VW has not solved the problems inherent with this trans. I know an owner of a new 2012 Eos and she mentioned the lack of smoothness with her DSG. The early MK5 GTI's had a lot of problems with this technology. My '08 GTI has been in the shop on numerous occasions because of the DSG. I would recommend the manual trans for the Passat, or if you feel the need for an automatic, go with the Camry or Sonata. Avoid the VW DSG at all cost on any VW product. Take it from my personal experience and the experiences of owners of DSGs that I know.

Two issues not addressed: The price of diesel is roughly $.50 more per gallon that regular (adding $220 per year for the 15K annual drivers) and those who care about styling.I would definitely consider the Camry if it's styling were not so "1990's Buick" but I will NOT buy an ugly car at any price point.What happened to all of the Honda & Toyota stylists? Everybody else is kicking their collective behinds!

a couple of points:1. diesel stinkiness refers to your hands when you refuel it, the exhaust is pretty clean.2. Toyota HSD hybrid tech is as reliable as possible for a car to get.. no belts, no clutches, no transmission, no starter, no alternator, no water pump, no turbo and no direct fuel injection.. and its very likely the brake pads will last 100k miles. The Hyundai tech is new and unproven.. VW TDI reliability and maintenance issues are scary after 5 years, these new diesels (2005-present) are very complicated and have expensive maintenance.. fuel quality is extremely critical with the common rail high pressure fuel pumps.

@Inyurahsya,VW won because it is a "Car" and for the driver, it is a pleasure to "drive" it.Camry did not win because it is an "appliance" and for the driver, if he/she is awake, try to avoid the boredom with some tunes..

@lions208487, I guess you have never driven newer VW's and seems your opinions are based on cars more than two decades ago. I drive a 2006 VW Jetta TDI with 186K miles, I have not had any oil leaks, or oil sludge. As far as you put in oil that meets VW specs, you have no issues. At 50K miles the diesel engines are just breaking in.

I wanted to hear this many "feelings", I'd watch the next episode of "The View".MT's testosterone is a quart low. And it's mascara is running.Tell me how it "feels" when the VW's check engine light comes on next week....BD

I would prefer to wait for the new Altima and Fusion Hybrid before a true comparison test can be made. However, even though Toyota is not my preference by any means, the Camry obviously is the true winner here.As syj states, it's not all about 0-60 and MPG, but the Camry dominated in both so that deserve recognition. Since Fuel economy is the primary purpose for a hybrid, the Camry wins. Interior and exterior appearence is in the eye of the buyer, I personally would take the Camry over the VW. Despite Toyota's recall issues in the prior two years, they still make a much more reliable car than any VW product period. Intake valve, oil sludge, oil leaks tend to become a common problems with VW's after 50K miles. C/R and JDP consistantly list VW's issues with every years reliability test, and VW is always near the bottom. That alone is reason to go for the Hyundai or Toyota.

who knew MT.com was dominated by so many immature Toyota lovers. The Camry is much improved but there is more to selecting a winner than looking at 0-60 and mpgs. They are rating these cars as complete packages. Passat looks better, has more space, has a larger trunk, handles better and has a lower as-tested price- those are reasons why it came in 1st place. The camry hybrid is an excellent choice for those who dont care about styling or handling.

So the Camry comes in 2nd again, not a surprise to me. It's one thing for a car to look good on paper, it's another entirely different thing to not go just by numbers. The testers actually car how the car drives and feels, unlike the typical Toyota driver who only wants an appliance. They should change the name of the Camry to something like "Lady Kenmore". They can add a buzzer to tell you when the clothes are dry.

Round 1: Base Model "In terms of power, interior space, useability, and fuel economy, the Camry's the best here." But the Passat is better because it felt better and won.Round 2: Hybrids/Diesel(MPG)The camry got 36.9 MPG; the Passat got 34.3 but is better because it felt better and won.Let me guess...Round 3: "High Octane" versionsThe Camry and Sonata whooped the Passat but the Passat is better because it felt better and won.Why even have these tests?

All kidding aside, and the fanboyism, I think some people here are misunderstanding what MT was trying to do in this comparison.This comparison was not purely about gas mileage. If it was, the Focus SFE would have been included, because it gets 40 MPG on the highway. (Or the Fusion hybrid, etc.) It also wasn't meant to be a comparison of ALL the midsize contenders out there . . . because it just isn't practical to test 15 vehicles!They took the current bestseller (the Camry), the hot newcomer (the Sonata), and a recently redesigned oldtimer, and tried to find out which was the best CAR . . . overall. Price, value, economy, handling, quality, etc. MT praised each of these cars for their various attributes and criticized each one, as well. I think they were pretty fair. In the end it wasn't like one car was a total turd and the others were made of gold . . . each car did very well. Can you please everybody? Don't think so.As a VW fan I'm just glad we were invited to the party this year. :)